027. We Need Fake Stories

alAndar w/ Marcos & Jim

In this episode, Marcos and Jim dive into the need for fiction. Inspired by a recent Jim Nog blog post, Marcos and Jim discuss why we need fiction, why we are reading less than before, and what we can do about it.

TIMESTAMPS

(0:00) Preview

(0:54) Beginning theme

(1:23) Context: The cultural bias against fiction

(4:44) Context: Storytelling humans

(5:57) Need: We learn via stories

(15:17) Need: Entertainment’s Advantage

(30:06) Need: Fiction as Virtual Reality

(43:44) Worry: We don't read as much anymore

(55:42) Action: Law 1: Make It Obvious

(1:03:33) Action: Law 2: Make It Attractive

(1:10:49) Action: Law 3: Make It Easy

(1:16:13) Action: Law 4: Make It Satisfying

(1:23:41) Discussion: The Three-Body Problem (w/ a few spoilers)

(1:32:54) Reading Club update & conclusion

(1:37:33) Ending Theme

(1:38:38) Button

REFERENCES (in order of mention)

- "The Story of Storytelling" by Ferris Jabr

- "Why and How Did Narrative Fictions Evolve? Fictions as Entertainment Technologies" by Edgar Dubourg and Nicolas Baumard

- Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom

- Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

- Against Empathy by Paul Bloom

- ⁠John 15:13⁠ (The Holy Bible, KJB)

- "Over 50% of Americans haven’t read a book in the past year [2022 Study]" by Nicholas Rizzo

- "Teens Today Spend More Time on Digital Media, Less Time Reading" by APA

- "Speaking of Psychology: Why our attention spans are shrinking, with Gloria Mark, PhD" by APA

- "Why We Don't Read, Revisited" by Caleb Crain

- Atomic Habits by James Clear

- Building & Changing Habits | J - The Peter Attia Drive - Apple Podcasts

- Controlling Your Dopamine For Motivation, Focus & Satisfaction - Huberman Lab | Podcast on Spotify

- Lofi Girl on Youtube

- Sula by Toni Morrison

- The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

- "The Paper Managerie" by Ken Liu

Marcos and Jim, as independent artists, need and greatly appreciate your support. Consider adding the podcast to your favorite podcatcher, leaving a comment, and/or sharing it with people you think would like it! We thank you, the Andarians and the Andariane! And let's make meaning on the way!

#alAndar #Fiction #Stories #Reading #Habits

MARCOS' LINKS

- Bandcamp: https://marcosdelaguagua.bandcamp.com/

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcos_de_la_guagua/

- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marcosdelaguagua

- Website: www.MarcosdelaGuagua.com

- X: https://twitter.com/delaguagua

JIM'S LINKS

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimnog/

- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jimnog

- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimnog27

- Website: www.JamesNoguera.com

- X: https://twitter.com/jimnog

CREDITS:

- Art: James Noguera

- Music: Marcos de la Guagua & Jim Nog

- Episode edit: James Noguera

- Show notes: James Noguera

DISCLAIMER:

While Marcos and Jim may discuss political or religious topics, the main focus of the podcast is to talk about and share art. Silence or absence of opinion from one doesn't imply agreement or endorsement of the other's stance.